Chapter 5
Even in the original story, there was a reason Sienna bullied Roel so much.
It was because she liked Roel’s looks.
I mean, he was supposed to be the male lead. How handsome do you think he must have been? But since Roel didn’t pay any attention to her, she bullied him. Just so he would notice her. She was used to being loved without doing anything, so she didn’t know how else to get someone’s attention.
With such a pretty face, doesn’t my claim sound believable?
“……What?”
“I’m helping Roel because he’s pretty!”
Roel’s eyes widened.
What’s with that face, like he had no idea? Was it because no one had ever told him he was handsome?
“I… I’m pretty?”
“Yeah. You’re handsome.”
“I’m really… handsome?”
Roel touched his own face, then suddenly twisted his expression into a grimace. Geez, why was an eight-year-old acting like he was carrying all the burdens of the world?
“What’s wrong? You don’t like being handsome and pretty?”
Roel looked at me silently for a moment, then shook his head.
“No.”
Just as he was about to say something more, I heard movement outside.
Gasp! What—already? It was time for the doctors to come for the afternoon checkup. Always punctual, not a minute late. Probably because they were afraid of Respris.
I couldn’t let them see Roel here.
“Roel, quick, get up and…!”
When I turned to look, he was staring seriously at the window.
Help ‘Roel, who looks ready to jump out the window even if it means breaking his legs’! ᕕ༼✪ل͜✪༽ᕗ
Success: Death Points –3p
Failure: Death Points +10p
This time too, I absolutely had to succeed.
A system window suddenly popped up, showing the floor plan of the room. Next to a large flower vase was a star mark. Was there a secret passage there or something?
Well, worth a try. Better than jumping out the window! I’d die too at this rate!
I grabbed Roel’s hand and dragged him to the vase. Sure enough, behind it was a button sticking out. When I pressed it, a secret passage really did open.
I shoved him inside.
“If you keep going straight, you’ll get out somewhere! I don’t know where, though.”
“How did you know…!”
“There’s a way to know! Anyway, Roel, let’s talk next time, okay? If you want to see me again, come through this passage and knock.”
Before he could reply, I pressed the button again, making the passage disappear without a trace.
“Haah… haah.”
My fragile heart thumped wildly, unable to withstand the tension.
But there was no time to just lie there.
I quickly ran to the bed and lay down just as—knock, knock, knock—the door opened.
“Your Highness the Princess, we are coming in.”
“Yes…”
I answered weakly. Ugh, I really overdid it.
I gazed at the doctors with a pale face. The doctors, who had entered calmly and politely, gasped in shock and rushed toward me.
“Good heavens, Your Highness! It seems the medicine has no effect. What are you all doing? You must save our princess!”
My nanny cried out tearfully. I grabbed her hand.
“…It’s fine, nanny. I’m not—cough!”
A spurt of blood burst out. My nanny’s face went pale white.
“P-Princess!”
She clutched me tightly again while the doctors hurriedly hooked things up to my body and busied themselves.
Why are they panicking… I’m not dying.
My condition had clearly changed ever since Roel came here. I was now healthier than ever before.
▶ Reward: Death Points –3p
◆ Death Points: 93p
I grinned.
One thing was certain: the system wanted me to act as Roel’s helper. It had just made me help him, after all.
Ha. Anyway, I needed some rest. I’d overexerted this flimsy body.
As I slowly closed my eyes, my nanny’s sobbing grew louder.
Nanny, I’m really fine… Really…
Roel, meanwhile, stared in shock at the firmly shut door before turning and hurrying through the passage.
Not only was it absurd that a foreign princess knew of a secret passage that only royalty were supposed to know about, but he had actually been shoved through it. He’d been ready to jump out a window and get hurt, but…
When he emerged, Roel blinked in disbelief.
“…My room?”
The passage led straight into his quarters.
His palace was the most remote, making it perfect for sneaking in and out of the imperial grounds.
Roel himself had snuck out a few times before. But he had never imagined there was a secret passage connected directly to his room.
Turning, he examined the spot. Behind a huge painting—one that had always felt oddly out of place in his room—the passage lay hidden. Removing the painting revealed the door.
“What… is she really?”
Could it be Respris had planted her as a spy?
Forged her identity as a princess to pry into the empire’s secrets…? But no, her deathly pale face that seemed on the verge of collapse—that had been real.
He had gone looking for answers, only to return with even more confusion. Roel let out a bitter, unchildlike laugh.
Two days passed, and I was bedridden.
I think Roel came by again in between, but with my fever blazing, I couldn’t greet him.
Even though I knew I wouldn’t die, with that heat and my body so limp, I was scared I really might just slip away.
Anyway, once I felt a bit better, I called for my nanny.
“Prepare lots of food.”
“Are you hungry, Your Highness?”
“No. Just prepare it.”
By chance, I had learned where the secret passage was and had a rough idea of where it led. Since Roel came and went through it, it must be near his palace. I needed to see him.
My nanny tilted her head.
“Food, for what…”
“Just! Just because!”
In the original, Sienna often threw tantrums for no reason. I was using that as my excuse.
As expected, my nanny didn’t look particularly surprised.
“Yes, as you command.”
She left the room.
I was planning to visit Roel’s palace directly. I needed to know what he lacked so I could bring him what he needed.
I’d sneak things to him one by one. Food was the most urgent.
Before long, my nanny returned with a basket full of sandwiches and snacks.
“Are you planning to take a walk, Your Highness? Then I should prepare as well… and fetch your clothes.”
“I’m not going for a walk. I’ll stay in my room.”
“…Pardon?”
She blinked in surprise.
“Don’t come in, no matter what. I want to be alone.”
“Alone…?”
“Yes!”
I nodded firmly.
“If you disturb me, I’ll get really, really, really mad!”
At my insistence, my nanny reluctantly agreed.
I locked the door tightly after shooing her out.
No one would dare enter now. Back in Respris, I had often locked myself in too, so she’d be used to it.
Alright, let’s go! I knew now that Roel was my lifeline, so I had to take care of him.
The secret passage was long, but manageable.
At the end, I knocked softly.
“Roel? Roel?”
I whispered his name in a tiny voice, just in case this wasn’t his room after all.
Did he not hear me?
“Roel…!”
This time, louder. The door swung open, revealing Roel with wide eyes.
His shirt was completely unbuttoned, as if I’d caught him mid-change. His face was pale like he’d seen a ghost.
“Uh… Prince Roel, is this a bad time?”
“Th-that…”
His face flushed bright red and he slammed the door shut.
Oops. Maybe I should have warned him first. Too bad I didn’t have a smartphone.
After a short wait, the door opened again. Roel, after taking a deep breath, asked,
“W-what brings you here…?”
“Ah, have you eaten? Sorry for barging in. I startled you, didn’t I? But I had no way to contact you.”
I lifted the basket of sandwiches.
“Not hungry? Move aside, it’s too cramped and stuffy here.”
The passage was only wide enough for one person at a time. I pouted and nudged him aside.
His room was neatly kept.
I’d heard he had no one looking after him. Did he do all this himself? Impressive.
But as for food… He had been surviving on weeds, berries, and sometimes sneaking out to do odd jobs for a meal.
No wonder he was so skinny.
The heaviness of the basket in my hand made me feel satisfied.
